With Koreeda Hirokazu’s newest film Monster premiering in 2023, is there a better moment to enjoy a carefully curated selection of works by one of Japan’s most celebrated directors? Join us at Japan House London for a series of free screenings of critically acclaimed films by Koreeda Hirokazu.

Having directed over a dozen films – including the Palm d’Or winning Shoplifters – Koreeda Hirokazu (born in 1962) is widely recognized for his heartfelt and moving family dramas. Many of his works deal with the loss of loved ones, either to the passing of time or tragic circumstances. Koreeda explores and exposes – often in a painful, yet contained manner – what makes one a parent or a group of people a family. Topics such as parenthood, relationships between siblings and the recreation of – lost or newly discovered – family bonds, often invite comparison with one of the most prominent figures in Japanese cinematography, Ozu Yasujirō. Koreeda, not unlike Ozu, has a number of favoured actors with whom he often works, and portrays his characters with a specific tenderness. However – as the artist himself points out in numerous interviews – he feels closer to such socially engaged directors as Naruse Mikio or Ken Loach, with whom he shares an appreciation of the everyday and deep compassion for the most vulnerable.

The film season starts with I Wish (2011) and continues with one of his earlier works After Life (1998), to be completed with the critically acclaimed Like Father, Like Son (2013) and Our Little Sister (2015).

Season Programme

The screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Guests who are booked to attend the screening can also enjoy 10% off drinks at The Stand on their way in.